White Saviorism
This chapter introduces the concept of White Saviorism, especially for people who are not negatively impacted by racism themselves. It explains what it means, how it works, and why understanding it is essential when working with people on the move.
Source: Phillip Lemmerich (2021): Hilfe für Millionen oder Millionen für Hilfe? Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
What does White Saviorism mean?
Symptom of racism and white supremacy
White saviorism is a symptom of racism and white supremacy which places those in a position of privilege into the role of savior over those who have been historically oppressed and exploited (ig:@nowhitesaviors, founder Olvia Patience Olaso). And the larger system in which white saviorism operates is often referred to as the White Savior Industrial Complex (WSIC). This term describes the networks of institutions, beliefs, norms, and structures that sustain and normalize savior practices, and intersect with Colonialism, Racism, Eurocentrism and Paternalism. Rather than being oriented toward justice, the WSIC prioritizes having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.
Historical inequalities and white privilege
The WSIC refers to the confluence of practices, processes, and institutions that reinforce historical inequities to ultimately validate white privilege (43).
Aldi nice quote: It has been ultimately stated “From Sachs to Kristof to Invisible Children to TED, the fastest growing industry in the U.S. is the White Savior Industrial Complex. The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, funds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening.” (44)
People are rewarded for “saving” those less fortunate while completely disregarding the policies they have supported that created or maintained systems of oppression (45).
White supremacy
“White supremacy” does not allude only to the self-conscious racism of hate groups. It refers to a political, economic, and cultural system in which whites overwhelmingly control power and material resources, conscious and unconscious ideas of white superiority are widespread, and relations of white dominance are daily reenacted across a broad array of institutions and social settings(46).
Connection to Eurocentrism
White Saviourism thus describes structures of whiteness and the phenomenon that people believe (consciously or subconsciously) that their origin, upbringing and education in a country of the Global North gives them the right, knowledge and legitimacy to ‘enlighten’ and educate other people. In this, Eurocentrism plays a big role, as such shaping or educating usually goes according to European standards, which are believed to be the norm. King (1991) defined dysconscious racism as a “distorted way of thinking about race” in which one accepts dominant White norms, not even acknowledging all the privileges granted in their life (47).
Narratives of White Saviorism
▶“Good heart” and “good intentions”
▶Creating dependency: White intervention and the denial of local agency
Consequences of White Saviorism
The deployment of unqualified young people from the Global North into so-called “development projects” reflects a deep-seated arrogance and reinforces historically established hierarchies and racist images of passive, needy “others.”
Complex political and social coherences are presented in a highly condensed form, stripping context and reducing entire communities to simple narratives.
White Saviorism also shows up in mainstream culture: social media self-portrayals, NGO marketing, and Hollywood narratives where “white heroes” are supposedly necessary to free others from discrimination.
What does this mean for your work with people on the move?
Be aware of your position and role
As a volunteer, you will enter situations shaped by power imbalances and dependencies that are hard to bear. Acknowledge them, do not take advantage of them, and aim for respectful and responsible interaction.
Reflect on your motivation
Why do you want to do this work? Is it solidarity — or the desire to “do good” and feel appreciated? It is okay to have these thoughts, but they should not be the driving force. Always engage with people as equals.
Be mindful of your external impact
Always be aware of how your posts or reports may reinforce harmful narratives.
Recommended Material
- Video: How microaggressions are like mosquito bites
- TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
- Podcast: No White Saviors
- Podcast episode: White Saviorism – Warum gut gemeint oft nicht hilfreich ist
- Satirical video: Africa for Norway
- Satirical video: White Savior – The Movie Trailer
- Article: No more white saviours – how to be a true anti-racist ally
- Alice Hasters — Was weiße Menschen nicht über Rassismus hören wollen
- Tupoka Ogette — Exit Racism
- Mohamed Amjahid — Der weiße Fleck
All books are also available as audiobooks on Spotify.
